Richard. I have a friend that works at West Marine and he tought me something about finishing wood projects. He is also a master cabinet maker but retired from that and sold his company. (I think he works at WM for the discounts so he can maintain his 50' motor-sailer, but that is another story.)

Anyway, I always admired his wood finishes and one day asked him how he achieved the look. He also uses the MinWax Spar Urethane instead of Varnish. After finishing his piece with several coats (I think he said 7-8 coats) of gloss product he switches to satin product for the final coat. It knocks down the hard shine but does not effect the "depth" of the finish. The results are amazing.